Puglia & Basilicata Custom Tour

Independent Tour, Customized to Your Dates

Alberobello, Sassi Caves, Matera, Bari, Lecce

14 Days / 13 Nights

Tour Language: English

Tour Features

This Independent Tour is designed for travelers who enjoy adventure and discovery. These two regions offer a mix of sea and countryside perfect for travelers who wish to explore a truly distinctive part of Italy. Unique history, culture, and culinary delights abound in the heel of the peninsula. Arrive in the coastal city of Bari and enjoy this port city. On your second day proceed to the ancient city of the Matera once known as Sassi or Stones. Matera was deemed a UNESCO World Heritage site and was a featured backdrop for the Mel Gibson film Passion of the Christ. Continue the tour into the historical agricultural fields of Puglia where the olive trees are over a century old and indulge in the flavors. Enjoy the sandy beaches of the Ionian Sea which are a contrast to the rugged coast of the Adriatic and spend time in the town of Santa Maria di Leuca where both seas collide! Discover the deep caverns of the Grotte di Castellana, the unique conical houses known as Trulli in Alberobello, and shopping the quaint boutiques in Monopoli.

What's Not Included

Air flights, travel insurance, tips, and anything not specifically mentioned in “What’s Included”.

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival - Bari

Private Transfer to Central Bari Hotel and explore Bari at leisure.

No Meals Included On Day 1

Day 2 - Altamura

Altamura links its birth to the mythical disembarkation of the escaping Trojans who landed on the Adriatic Italian coast

Witness the 400,000 year old calcified Altamura Man in the grotta di Lamalunga (limestone cave)

Dinosaur Caves in Pontrelli. This is one of the richest fossil deposits in the world dating back to the Cretaceous period (about 70 million years old).

Meal Included: Buffet breakfast

Day 3 - Matera

4-hour Private Walking Tour of Matera

Local Product Tasting (Cheeses, Cured Meats & Wine)

Backdrop for Mel Gibson’s blockbuster movie “Passion of the Christ” and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The old city was created out of the rocky ravine

Meal Included: Buffet breakfast

Day 4 - Matera

4-hour Guided Hiking in the Matera Hills

Hiking from the Sassi to Cristo La Selva; packed lunch inside a cave; return by bus

Meals Included: Buffet breakfast & lunch

Day 5 - Taranto & Lecce

Tour Grottaglie at leisure

Hosted Dinner at the Masseria

Citta Vecchia is the heart of the “old city” of Taranto and is actually on a island while the main part of the city is called Citta Moderna or the “modern city”

The small town of Grottaglie is known for hand crafted ceramics of Grecian influence

Meals Included: Buffet breakfast & Dinner

Day 6 - Lecce

2 Hour Private Guided Walking Tour of Lecce

Lecce it is the main city of the Salentine Peninsula, a sub-peninsula at the heel of the Italian Peninsula and is over 2,000 years old. Because of the rich Baroque architectural monuments found in the city, Lecce is commonly nicknamed “The Florence of the South”

Meal Included: Buffet breakfast

Day 7 - Gallipoli & Santa Maria Leuca

Tours these towns and the West Coast of Puglia at Leisure appreciating the difference between the two coasts

Gallipoli: in Greek-Kallipolis meaning beautiful city

11th Century Castel Angiono and fortress

Corte Gallo- unique alleyways and part of town with house facades decorated by locals inspired by items used by fishermen

Meal Included: Buffet breakfast

Day 8 - Otranto

Tour of the Eastern Coastline via Cesarea Terme

Beautiful views of the sea

Historic churches & castle

Meal Included: Buffet breakfast

Day 9 - Ostuni, Martina Franca, Locorotondo & Alberobello

Enjoy the different towns and the unique houses known as Trulli

Dinner in Polignano al Mare on Own

Ostuni- 15th Century Gothic Cathedral

Martina Franca features Baroque Buildings and a Ducal Palace built in 1669

Locorotondo or round place features a circular city plan

Alberobello or beautiful tree features thousands of Trulli or conical houses unique to this region

Meal Included: Buffet breakfast

Day 10 - Conversano & Monopoli

Grotta Bianca- featuring stalactites and stalagmites is considered in perfect condition

Above the cave is a look-out tower

Meal Included: Buffet breakfast

Day 11 - Castellina di Grotte & Alberobello

Enjoy the day at leisure.

Meal Included: Buffet breakfast

Day 12 - Trani & Castel di Monte

Enjoy the day exploring the towns of Trani & Castel Monte

Proceed to Bari and enjoy Dinner at Leisure

Simple yet spectacular Cathedral set on a small peninsula that juts out into the sea

Meal Included: Buffet breakfast

Day 13 - Bari

2-hour Private Guided Walking Tour of Bari

Bari is the Second Largest Metropolis in the South- a visit to the ancient district is worth a visit to compare it’s modern day culture as an industrial capital

San Giacomo Church

Walk along the Lungomare or Seaside Promenade

Meal Included: Buffet breakfast

Day 14 - Bari

Return rental vehicle & conclusion of tour.

Meal Included: Buffet breakfast

Anna Maria ScavoExecutive Admin, Canada

Chiama Oggi! (Call Today) For more information on our Tours of Italy, or to book one of our Escorted Tours, Custom Tours, and/or Private Tours, call us today at 1 (877) 444-CIAO (2426) to speak to one of our tour designers or email us at info@ciaotours.com for a no obligation proposal that will be delivered to you in 24 hours!

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